I am frequently accused of a "lack of awareness." Yet almost always I
unequivocally demonstrate that my expressed perception is "right on."
(Not too long ago, someone stated that I was making "wild statements"
about young earth creationists. Of course, I turned right around and
quoted young earth creationists Henry Morris and Tom Willis making
precisely the statements I had claimed that YECs make.) I'm certainly
fallible. But typically I find that I'm less fallible than many YEC
critics. ;-)

Please cite at least one single statement where a non-YEC writer has
claimed that a Christian's salvation is in peril - or even that he is
condemned by the Word of God - based on the single fact of his
believing the young earth creationism doctrine. I wager that you will
not find one. On the other hand, I can cite several statements like
this made by young earth creationists against Christians who disagree
with the doctrine young earth creationism, based on the sole reason
of their having rejected the doctrine.

Young earth creationists (very many, while I will acknowledge that it
is not all of them) have clearly made this an issue which divides the
good Christians from the bad Christians. Since this is the true
situation, there is something clearly wrong with turning around and
saying, as you are apparently doing, that people should not express
criticism of this "exclusivist" (divisive) approach that so many YECs
have taken. Let's be forthrightly honest about the situation.
Remember, that some of Jesus' harshest words were against the
Pharisees who used their rules by which to divide the good Jews from
the bad Jews.

It is clear that non-YECs are critical (as they should be) of both
young earth creationism and of the exclusivist attitudes which so
many YECs have wrapped YEC up in. But non-YECs have not and do not
claim that a person's belief in young earth creationism puts their
salvation in danger, or makes their faith "suspect" or
"compromising." Of course, if you think my assessment is incorrect,
please show me the discussion I haven't been following which shows
otherwise.

###### Gregory P. Kerr, 4/3/01 10:15 AM ######
As a relatively new addition to this list, I have been amazed at the
type of criticisms leveled against those that do not hold to evolution
and to those that hold to YEC. The venom, not science, that has been
expressed is quite telling. I've collected some of these and assembled
them here with my assessment of the trait attributed to
anti-evolutionists and YEC's by this list. (The first, however, is
perhaps the most telling as it displays the lack of awareness of the
comments being made on this list.)

Judgmental:
"I have *never* - encountered one single non-YEC Christian who has ever
considered this matter to be a salvation issue, or who has considered
that a Christian's perspective *on this particular matter* to, in
itself, has any bearing on a Christian's standing with God. We must be
honest and clear about who it is who typically uses these particular
issues by which to judge the faith of other Christians."